---
title: "Embassy Legalization for Non-Hague Countries | MCC Solutions"
description: "For countries that don't take apostilles: state or federal authentication, then legalization at the embassy or consulate in Washington, DC. Quoted per document."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/embassy-legalization"
---

LEGALIZATION

# Embassy legalization for countries that don't accept apostilles

## Overview

Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention don't accept an apostille. Their documents are legalized instead: the U.S. state that issued or notarized the document authenticates it (the U.S. Department of State does this for federal documents), and then the destination country's embassy or consulate in Washington, DC legalizes it. We prepare each step, and a runner in our contractor network takes the documents to the embassy.

Starting at **$150** per document, plus government and embassy fees · [all fees](/notary/fees)

Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.

Request service[Call the desk](tel:+19084446373)

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🌙 We're closed for the night. Your apostille isn't on hold.

Send the request now with the state, the document and the country. It's first in line when we open in the morning, and you get the route and the price before you pay.

 [Send the apostille request](/notary/apostille-any-state)

![Matthew Coleman, founder of MCC Solutions](/img/matthew-coleman.jpg)

**Matthew Coleman**, NJ Notary Public and NNA Certified Loan Signing Agent. Cranford, NJ. Price confirmed before any work starts. You pay through a secure Stripe link and can follow each step on your request page.

### Before you send

- Tell us the country and the office that asked for the document. Each embassy sets its own rules, fees and timelines, and they change.
- Send originals or certified copies. The state or federal certificate attaches to the original, not a photocopy.
- Government and embassy fees are passed through at cost, on top of our service fee.
- We confirm the steps and the price before you pay. We don't guarantee that an embassy accepts a document or how long it takes.
- We handle the paperwork and the trips. We are not lawyers and don't advise on what a foreign authority will accept.

### Prefer to talk?

Call the desk and we'll take the request by phone.

What's included

## Every embassy legalization order

- A check of the destination's route before you pay: apostille or legalization
- Notarization by a New Jersey notary when the document has to be notarized first
- Authentication by the issuing state, or by the U.S. Department of State for federal documents
- Drop-off and pickup at the embassy or consulate in Washington, DC, through a runner in our network
- Government and embassy fees passed through at cost, with an update at each step

Who uses it

## Built for

- Businesses sending contracts or company papers to partners abroad
- People relocating, marrying, studying or working overseas
- Attorneys and paralegals with international matters
- Families completing adoptions in non-Hague countries

How it works

## Embassy Legalization, step by step

- ### Tell us the country We confirm the destination's route and the embassy's current requirements, then quote the total.
- ### Authenticate it The issuing state authenticates the document, or the U.S. Department of State does for a federal document.
- ### Embassy step in Washington A runner in our network drops the documents at the embassy or consulate and picks them up.
- ### Returned to you The legalized documents come back to you or go to the recipient.

Before we arrive

## Have this ready

- The original document or certified copy
- The destination country and the office that asked for it
- Any instructions or forms from that office
- Your deadline

Timing

## Turnaround

Legalization usually takes several weeks, because state, federal and embassy processing each add time. Embassies set their own timelines, so we give an estimate, not a promise. Start as early as you can.

Helpful guides

- [How to Get an Apostille in NJ: Birth Certificates, POAs & Steps](/notary/guides/how-to-get-an-apostille-in-new-jersey)
- [Notarized Documents for Use in Another Country](/notary/guides/notarized-documents-for-use-in-another-country)
- [Hague Apostille Countries vs Non-Hague Countries](/notary/guides/hague-apostille-countries-vs-non-hague-countries)
- [Apostille, Authentication, Legalization: What's the Difference?](/notary/guides/apostille-authentication-legalization-whats-the-difference)
- [Apostille for an FBI Background Check: The Federal Route](/notary/guides/apostille-for-an-fbi-background-check)
- [Embassy Legalization Step by Step for U.S. Documents](/notary/guides/embassy-legalization-step-by-step)

## The steps, in plain terms

1. **Get the right version of the document.** A vital or court record has to be a certified copy from the office that issued it. A private document, such as a power of attorney or a company resolution, is signed in front of a notary first.

2. **Authentication in the United States.** The state that issued or notarized the document certifies the official's signature with a certificate of authentication (not an apostille, which is only for Hague countries). Federal documents, such as an FBI background check, go to the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications instead. Some embassies also want the Department of State's certificate on top of the state's.

3. **Embassy or consulate legalization.** The destination country's embassy or consulate in Washington, DC checks the U.S. certificate and adds its own stamp or certificate. Many embassies take documents only in person or by appointment, which is why a runner in our network handles the drop-off and pickup.

4. **Back to you.** The legalized document comes back to you or goes straight to whoever asked for it.

## Every embassy sets its own rules

Each embassy decides which documents it legalizes, the forms and copies it wants, its fees, whether it needs a translation, and how long it takes. Those rules change, sometimes without notice. We check the embassy's current requirements when we quote, but we can't guarantee acceptance or timing. The office that asked for the document has the final word on what it will take.

Not sure which route your country uses? Our guide to [Hague and non-Hague countries](/notary/guides/hague-apostille-countries-vs-non-hague-countries) explains how to check, and the [apostille and authentication offices by state](/notary/apostille-by-state) lists each state's office, fee and process. A document in another language may also need a [certified translation](/notary/certified-translation).

FAQ

## Common questions

**How do I know if I need an apostille or legalization?**

It depends on the destination country. Countries in the Hague Apostille Convention take an apostille; the rest need legalization. Tell us the country and we confirm which route applies before you pay.

**What does it cost?**

Our service fee is per document and starts at the price shown above. Government and embassy fees come on top and are passed through at cost. Each embassy sets its own fees, so we quote the total before you pay.

**How long does it take?**

Each embassy sets its own processing times, and they change. State and federal authentication add their own time. We give you an estimate when we quote, but we don't guarantee timing or that an embassy accepts a document.

**Does the U.S. Department of State need to authenticate my document?**

For federal documents, such as an FBI background check, yes: the Department of State's Office of Authentications issues the certificate before the embassy step. A document issued or notarized in a state is authenticated by that state. Some embassies also ask for a Department of State certificate on top of the state's, so we check what your destination's embassy asks for.

**Are you lawyers?**

No. We handle the paperwork and the trips. We don't give legal advice or tell you what a foreign authority will accept; the office that asked for the document can tell you.

**Which countries need legalization instead of an apostille?**

Countries that aren't part of the Hague Apostille Convention. Membership changes, so tell us the country and we'll check its current status.

**Can you legalize a document from any state?**

Yes. The issuing state authenticates its own documents, so we send it there first, then to the embassy.

## In short

Embassy legalization is from $150 per document, plus state, federal and embassy fees at cost. It's for countries outside the Apostille Convention; we run documents to embassies in Washington, D.C. and confirm the route first.

**Where we cover:** New Jersey and federal documents; Washington, D.C. embassy runs

- [Apostille or legalization? Check a country](/notary/apostille-or-legalization-checker)
- [Apostilles for U.S. documents going to Canada](/notary/apostille-for-canada)
- [Apostilles for U.S. documents going to mainland China](/notary/apostille-for-china)
- [Thailand and the apostille: what changes on February 28, 2027](/notary/apostille-for-thailand)
- [Apostilles for U.S. documents going to Spain](/notary/apostille-for-spain)
- [Apostilles for U.S. documents going to Italy](/notary/apostille-for-italy)
- [Legalizing U.S. documents for use in Egypt](/notary/legalization-for-egypt)
- [Apostilles for FBI background checks](/notary/apostille-services/fbi-background-checks)

We handle the paperwork steps only. We are not lawyers or immigration consultants, we never prepare USCIS forms, and nothing here is legal, immigration or tax advice. The receiving office decides what it accepts, so no acceptance or turnaround is guaranteed.

Related

## Documents and tools

- [Apostille for diplomas and birth certificates](/notary/documents/diploma-birth-and-marriage-certificate-apostille)

Not sure this is the right service? [Find the right one in four questions](/notary/which-service), or print [what to bring to your appointment](/notary/appointment-checklist).

Where we work

## Embassy Legalization in every New Jersey county

- [Atlantic County](/notary/new-jersey/atlantic-county)
- [Bergen County](/notary/new-jersey/bergen-county)
- [Burlington County](/notary/new-jersey/burlington-county)
- [Camden County](/notary/new-jersey/camden-county)
- [Cape May County](/notary/new-jersey/cape-may-county)
- [Cumberland County](/notary/new-jersey/cumberland-county)
- [Essex County](/notary/new-jersey/essex-county)
- [Gloucester County](/notary/new-jersey/gloucester-county)
- [Hudson County](/notary/new-jersey/hudson-county)
- [Hunterdon County](/notary/new-jersey/hunterdon-county)
- [Mercer County](/notary/new-jersey/mercer-county)
- [Middlesex County](/notary/new-jersey/middlesex-county)
- [Monmouth County](/notary/new-jersey/monmouth-county)
- [Morris County](/notary/new-jersey/morris-county)
- [Ocean County](/notary/new-jersey/ocean-county)
- [Passaic County](/notary/new-jersey/passaic-county)
- [Salem County](/notary/new-jersey/salem-county)
- [Somerset County](/notary/new-jersey/somerset-county)
- [Sussex County](/notary/new-jersey/sussex-county)
- [Union County](/notary/new-jersey/union-county)
- [Warren County](/notary/new-jersey/warren-county)

## Need a notary? Send it to the desk.

[Book Now](/notary/#order)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)